Search This Blog

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Either they had an AED & the reporter did not mention it, or....


Here's the logic flow: If an MD was doing CPR, it was because the student had suffered an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. If the student was in the ER, awaiting transfer to an appropriate hospital, an AED was used on him, because it's extremely rare that someone's heart will spontaneously resume beating when treated only with CPR. If an AED was used at the scene before EMS arrived, there's a really good chance that the child will survive with major brain functions intact. If they had to wait for the ambulance to arrive and use their defibrillator, the odds of a good outcome are a lot lower. There's no way to tell from the story whether or not there was an AED on scene, but the story does give us an opportunity to reflect that there should always be an AED at every athletic match or practice. The article starts below.
A Richmond High School band member is in critical condition in the Reid Hospital emergency room after collapsing at the Richmond Homecoming football game.
The male student is awaiting transfer to the Children’s Medical Center of Dayton, Ohio.
Band director Terry Bettner said that the group performed the “National Anthem” before the start of the game and during the performance another band student noticed that the male student was having difficulty breathing.
The ill student was ushered to a bench and his condition deteriorated. Dr. Gregory Woods, who was on hand and who helps the Richmond football team with some medical issues, did CPR.
The student was then taken to Reid Hospital. Richmond High School principal Rae Woolpy, assistant principal Rachel Etherington and Richmond superintendent Allen Bourff all went to the hospital, along with the teen’s two sisters, who also are involved in Richmond Community Schools’ music program.
At about 9 p.m., the student was in critical condition in the Reid emergency room awaiting transfer to Children’s Medical Center.
No further information about the cause of his illness was available.
Bettner said that he is thankful that the student became ill at an event where medical attention was immediately available, rather than at home alone.